During the past school year, several leading American universities welcomed top scholars and experienced administrators as their new presidents. And none of them—not one—inherited the job from his father or mother.
That goes without saying, right? Nonprofit, tax-exempt universities are not typically family dynasties. But at evangelical Christian colleges, including some of the most prominent, there are different expectations as many leaders are succeeded by their children. In evangelicalism, in particular, some of the churches are likely to be treated as family businesses, with indigenous cultures that only a few can understand.
“There’s obviously a distrust of outsiders, so you want people who know the system, the ministry, what you are about,” said Matthew Sutton, who teaches history at WSU and is the author of American Apocalypse: A History of Modern Evangelicalism. “The assumption is that people within family know that best and can protect the heritage.”
More about the family business of college leadership in The New York Times (subscription required)